Welcome to You Had to Be There, the podcast that dives deep into the world of the music industry. I’m your host, Julia Gomberg. This week, I had the pleasure of chatting with Alany Rodriguez, festival and conference programmer for SXSW’s music initiatives. In her role, Alany helps bring to life everything from Keynote & Featured Speakers, artist demo listening sessions, and music conference content. She’s also a professional member of the Recording Academy and currently serves on the National Music Education & Professional Development Committee.

It’s clear that Alany truly loves what she does — and what stood out to me most is how she views the music industry as more than just business. For her, it’s about curating unforgettable experiences and creating moments that fans and artists carry with them long after the show ends.

After the episode, be sure to check out Alany’s curated playlist, linked in the show notes. Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll catch you next time.

Alany's Playlist

Alany's LinkedIn

Follow the Pod

Welcome back to You Had to Be There, the podcast where we dive deep into the world of the music industry. I’m your host, Julia Gomberg. This week, I’m thrilled to be joined by Kristin Robinson. Kristin is a Senior Correspondent at Billboard and the host of On the Record, Billboard’s new podcast that unpacks the biggest stories at the crossroads of music, business, and technology. Over the course of her career, Kristin has become a leading voice on music publishing, tech, and the rise of AI in the music industry.

Kristin has written standout cover stories for Billboard on artists like Charli XCX’s Brat Summer, Mustard’s role in Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” and Ghostwriter’s viral AI-generated track “Heart on My Sleeve” featuring ‘Fake Drake’—which we’ll be digging into in this episode.

Some other exciting news: you can now watch clips of the biggest moments from this interview over on You Had to Be There’s Instagram at @uhadtobetherepod. After the episode, be sure to check out Kristin’s curated playlist a which you can find in the episode show notes. Thanks so much for listening, and I'll catch you next time.

Kristin’s IG

Kristin’s Playlist

Billboard’s On The Record Podcast

Welcome to another episode of You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I'm your host, Julia Gomberg. This week, I’m excited to introduce Melanie Williamson as this week’s guest. Melanie is the founder and editor-in-chief of Music Scene Media, a digital music publication featuring all the facets of music: from artist interviews, social content, artist photography, and more. Plus, Melanie is a concert photographer and publicist herself, so she has undoubtedly experienced some unforgettable ‘you had to be there’ moments that have shaped her career today.

Thanks so much for listening, and be sure to follow along on Instagram at @uhadtobetherepod, and I'll catch you next time.

Melanie's IG

Melanie's Playlist

Music Scene Media's IG

Music Scene Media Website

Welcome to another episode of You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I'm your host, Julia Gomberg. This week, I’m so excited to introduce Sofia Gillani as my special guest. Sofia is a West London-based artist who has devoted herself to her music through writing, producing, self-promotion and directing music videos– all independently. Her single ‘Read My Mind’ has been featured as BBC’s Artist of the Week. Her authenticity is as undeniable as her talent, and she’s just getting started.

Be sure to check out Sofia’s upcoming single, “Vulnerability,” is out this Friday, available on all streaming platforms. So be sure to check that out, as well as her curated playlist alongside this episode, which you can find in the show notes. Thanks so much for listening, be sure to follow along on Instagram at @uhadtobetherepod, and I'll catch you next time.

Follow Sofia on IG

Listen to Sofia’s Music

Sofia’s Playlist

Welcome to You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the behind-the-scenes of the music industry. I’m your host, Julia Gomberg. This week, I was lucky enough to get to sit down with Abby Jones, staff editor and writer for Stereogum. Her writing has also been featured in Pitchfork, Billboard, Consequence, NPR Music, SPIN, and more. We got to discuss the impressive trajectory of her career, trusting the process, and what it was like when she saw a photo of Linkin Park vocalist Mike Shinoda wearing an excerpt from her article on his t-shirt, circulating on Twitter. Truly a “you had to be there” kind of moment.

Be sure to check out Abby’s curated playlist and socials, which you can find below. Appreciate you listening, and I’ll catch you next time!

Abby's Playlist

Abby's IG

Abby's Twitter

Follow You Had to Be There

Welcome to You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I'm your host, Julia Gomberg. After a short summer hiatus, I’m super excited to be back and introduce my latest guest, Erica D’Auora!

Erica is the powerhouse behind Gioia Communications, a PR agency for artists. The name gioia—Italian for “joy”—perfectly captures the passion for music she has carried throughout her entire life. She shares how she went from writing about music as a blogger to building a business that helps artists get their work heard. In this episode, Erica breaks down the steps, lessons, and mindset shifts that shaped her path in the music industry.

Be sure to check out Erica’s curated playlist alongside this episode, which feature some of the artists she works with, and some of her other favorites, which you can find in the show notes. Thanks so much for listening! Be sure to follow along on Instagram at @uhadtobetherepod, and I'll catch you next time.

Erica's IG

Erica’s Playlist

Welcome to another episode of You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I'm your host, Julia Gomberg. I'm so thrilled to introduce Katie Garcia as this week’s guest. Katie is the Co-Founder of Bayonet Records, an independent music label that she founded with her husband, Dustin Payseur, who also happens to front one of my favorite bands of all time: Beach Fossils.

Katie has been a major inspiration to me since the early days of my career. If I had to sum her up in one word, it would be cool—but that barely scratches the surface. As the Co-Founder of Bayonet, she’s not only built a successful, indie label from the ground up, but she’s also been instrumental in launching the careers of artists like Japanese Breakfast and Phoebe Bridgers. All of this while balancing motherhood and holding things together as her husband, Dustin, goes on the road with the Beach Fossils boys.

Be sure to check out Katie’s curated playlist alongside this episode, which you can find in the show notes. Thanks so much for listening, be sure to follow along on Instagram at @uhadtobetherepod, and I'll catch you next time.

Bayonet Records IG

Katie’s Curated Playlist

Welcome to another episode of You Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I'm your host, Julia Gomberg. This week, I'm thrilled to have Leah Lu, Senior Social Media Manager at Rolling Stone. Leah is a social media master, having honed her skills since her early Tumblr years, and now spearheading social media for Rolling Stone. We talk about her close relationship with music throughout her life, her impressive career path, and how it all came together.

Be sure to check out Leah’s curated playlist alongside this episode, which you can find in the show notes. Thanks so much for listening, be sure to follow along on Instagram at @uhadtobetherepod, and I'll catch you next time.

Rolling Stone IG

Leah’s Curated Playlist

Welcome to back toYou Had to Be There, the podcast where we deep dive into the world of the music industry. I'm your host, Julia Gomberg. This week, I'm joined by Jack Cash, frontman of the alt/goth rock band Vesper Rose.

Jack is an impressively seasoned musician with a creative edge for musical themes of punk, goth, horror, and metal. He considers himself to be fairly negative, but I found his perseverance and passion for music to be uplifting and inspiring (with a side of grim). He shares his experiences throughout the years, from moving to LA, to all the ups and downs in between, that have shaped his career into what it is today.

Be sure to check out Jack’s curated playlist alongside this episode, which you can find in the show notes. Thanks so much for listening, be sure to follow along on Instagram at @uhadtobetherepod, and I'll catch you next time.

Vesper Rose IG

Listen to Vesper Rose

Jack’s Curated Playlist

I’m very excited to introduce this week’s guest, London-based artist, Dirt Flirt. Her music has been described as 'dirty alt-pop'—a genre she’s making entirely her own. We discuss Dirt Flirt’s impressive musical background, including playing guitar for Bimini while opening for MUNA on their UK tour…no big deal. Lately, she’s already surpassed 70,000 streams for her catchy pop hook, Boyfriend, on Spotify alone. Her new single, Necklace, is out today, so you know what to do right after finishing this episode: listen to it! Duh.

Be sure to check out Dirt Flirt’s socials and her curated music playlist alongside this episode, which you can find in the show notes. Thanks so much for listening, and be sure to follow along on Instagram at @uhadtobetherepod.

Dirt Flirt's IG

Dirt Flirt's music

Dirt Flirt's curated playlist